Columns formed from concrete or other suitable material are commonly used in buildings and other types of structures. These columns are generally formed using some sort of form or mold into which steel reinforcing bar and concrete are inserted. After the concrete has hardened, the form is stripped away to leave a standing column.
The concrete columns so formed generally have an irregular surface finish corresponding to the interior surface of the form. It is often a labour intensive and time consuming operation to prepare and smooth the column surfaces to an aesthetically more pleasing finish. In addition, columns constructed using molds or forms tend to be limited to a constant circular or rectangular cross-section to simplify the required mold or form. Columns can be sculpted into a desired form after casting but this is an expensive and time consuming procedure that requires highly skilled craftsmen.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,505,426 to O'Flaherty disclose a typical prior art concrete column molding system that uses a tarpaper form. This system is limited to essentially cylindrical columns.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,167 to Thorne discloses a method of enclosing structural supporting columns such as I-beams within a mould to produce a rounded column. The arrangement features the use of spaced ring members that act as guides in the formation of a rounded exterior surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,789 to Harris et al. discloses a mold for forming sculpted or ornate column. A mold must first be cut corresponding to the shape of the desired column and the mold must be separated from the cast column.
U.S. Pat. No. 566,751 to Gilman discloses a porous substrate adapted to accept a veneer of artificial stone in order to form structural ornamental columns.